EPA targets lead in avgas

Pilawt

Pilawt

Final Approach
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Pilawt
Another shoe drops. It looks more like a jackboot about to stomp on us.

"EPA Proposes to Declare Aviation Lead Emissions Public Health Danger"

While levels of airborne lead in the United States have declined 99% since 1980, piston-engine aircraft are the largest remaining source of lead emissions into the air.

Children's exposure to lead can cause irreversible and lifelong health effects, the EPA said.

"When it comes to our children, the science is clear, exposure to lead can cause irreversible and life-long health effects,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement on Friday. "Aircraft that use leaded fuel are the dominant source of lead emissions in the country."​

https://www.newsmax.com/health/heal...protection-agency-lead/2022/10/07/id/1090898/

Greta how dare you.jpg
 
I figured this might happen with the UL approval. They’ve got the grounds to make the push now…

Get ready for a ban and costs to go up! :(
 
Baked Potato said:
A light sport that can burn auto gas is looking pretty attractive to me right now...
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Agreed. The majority of GA airplanes sitting on ramps right now are approved for STCs that can burn unleaded car gas…as long as it doesn’t have ethanol in it.
 
I wonder who's pulling this lever? I can't figure out the Cui Bono on this one. I don't think Braly & Co are that well connected. Does one of the oil companies have a viable 100UL forthcoming, and they're paving the way with regulation?

Maybe they're doing it because it's the right thing to do, and would be good governance. [Cue excessive laugh track]
 
Good night EPA….

People already live to 80s, how much longer do we need to live? :eek:
 
Look for a move toward federal subsidies to get G100UL to market quickly.
 
My Dad always said that his plan was to live fast, die young, and leave a good looking corpse.

He failed at that goal. He will be 96 in February.

And yes, carrier pilots have strange senses of humor. As to fighter and attack pilots. :D
 
@Racerx @Pinecone I’m sure ya’ll have heard this one:
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”
― Hunter S. Thompson
 
aterry1067 said:
...The majority of GA airplanes sitting on ramps right now are approved for STCs that can burn unleaded car gas…as long as it doesn’t have ethanol in it.
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I doubt this statement. Mine sure isn't. But even if the majority are approved, they all aren't.
 
It would be nice if they let 100 ul get established before going after aviation. I already burn ul94 but it’s not easy to find it.
 
robin ardoin said:
@Racerx @Pinecone I’m sure ya’ll have heard this one:
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”
― Hunter S. Thompson
Click to expand...

Debbie Harry from Blondie nailed it... Live fast, die young, and stay pretty. Live fast, cause it won't last!

 
Half Fast said:
Look for a move toward federal subsidies to get G100UL to market quickly.
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Think of all the money they flushed on pafi and now eagle, not to mention all of the largely useless environment impact studies. One helluva subsidy.
 
Racerx said:
Think of all the money they flushed on pafi and now eagle, not to mention all of the largely useless environment impact studies. One helluva subsidy.
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I suspect there will be some sort of subsidy to fuel producers to encourage and help them get UL into production, much the same way the feds subsidize electric cars and solar panels. Probably not until next year.

But I won’t be surprised if the EPA starts making lots of noise and threats, followed by GAMI and the FAA saying there’s a solution but it will take many years to get it into production and reach an acceptable price, whereupon the fuel companies will begin asking for assistance, reminding everyone that “it’s for the children.”
 
Is this news though? I thought the epa announced several months ago they were going to sell an endangerment finding.

aterry1067 said:
Agreed. The majority of GA airplanes sitting on ramps right now are approved for STCs that can burn unleaded car gas…as long as it doesn’t have ethanol in it.
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A majority of planes, sure, but the ones that aren't burn the vast majority of avgas.
 
Something like 70% of the avgas is burned by aircraft that must have 100LL, but they only comprise 20% of the numerical fleet.
 
Steamflyer said:
Something like 70% of the avgas is burned by aircraft that must have 100LL, but they only comprise 20% of the numerical fleet.
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But even all of those are covered by the new GAMI fuel, right?
 
I'm usually not good at predicting the future, but this one was easy.

Posted August 14th:

3393RP said:
Everyone is discussing the wrong three letter acronym. The FAA isn't the problem, it's the EPA. With the current political climate (irony intended), there are dangerous ideas floating around that could foment a crisis any day.
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G-Man said:
It's ridiculous leaded av gas wasn't replaced by 1985. Where has the FAA been for the last 42 years?
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The FAA doesn't make gasoline. Any manufacturer could have come up with something, and owned the market, as the EPA would have jumped on a lead ban.
BTW, some motor racing fuels do still have lead, but a lot of tuners are going toward E-85.
 
Kenny Phillips said:
The FAA doesn't make gasoline. Any manufacturer could have come up with something, and owned the market
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Except that it's apparently really hard to make 100 octane unleaded fuel that meets the FAA's 1930's specs.

The reason that GAMI succeeded was they decided to make a fuel that works - not one that meets the spec.
 
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